STEAM campers turned Lab 3 into a green and clean boutique, having spent the week learning the chemistry behind common home and body products and then concocting their own natural, healthy, and fragrant versions of bug repellent, sugar scrubs, bath salts, balms, and lotions. Each group designed packaging and marketing materials and set up stores with test samples for their customers. The lab never smelled so good! See the slideshow below.

For a final group project, STEAM campers in Lab 2 set up an elaborate Rube Goldberg contraption to address a simple problem: how to blow out the candle on Mike's birthday cupcake. Students spent the week in small groups creating similar complex machines, as they took into account the physics involved and the effect of various actions. Take a look at the video below. Here's a breakdown of the steps:

Mike sets off the dominoes which fall into marbles which travel down the ramp and funnel though a tube to land in a cup attached to a string that pulls a block out from in front of a tennis ball which then rolls down a ramp to hit another marble that then falls into a cup which is attached to another cup which releases a car that rolls down a ramp hitting a wall of dominoes which fall onto the sensors that turn the fans on and blows out the birthday candle.

This week's STEAM students are designing and building either a sustainable garden or a mini-golf course.

]]>Tue, 20 Jun 2017 11:21:00 -0000https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=166
https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=166In Friday's Morning Meeting, the Fourth Grade transported the audience to Ancient Egypt in their presentation of "The Winged Cat," a classic tale adapted from their reading of legends and myths of the period. The actors wore t-shirts they each designed and silkscreened with Ancient Egyptian animals and symbols. In this tale, characters journey to the Netherworld to discover who is telling the truth about a sacred cat and an amulet, exploring concepts of truth, balance, order, harmony, and justice. This play was part of the Fourth Grade's yearlong study of Ancient Egypt.

In his grandfather’s words, "People protect what they love, they love what they understand and they understand what they are taught." With a life shaped by this insightful perspective, Fabien Cousteau set the mission of the OLC "... to raise awareness, educate, and inform all citizens of the world of ways to protect and preserve the planet’s waters and endangered marine habitats and marine life." Please explore their website to see ways you can become involved and consider a donation to support this important work.

“Young people are crucial to the health of our ocean. Just as my grandfather inspired a generation of ocean advocates, it’s now time to pass that excitement for our ocean to the next generation,” said Fabien Cousteau.

Perhaps inspiring future aquanauts and conservationists at Far Brook, Mr. Cousteau spoke to students in Grades K-8 in Morning Meeting and met later with the Eighth Grade, who have been studying oceanography all year. Cousteau revealed how early years spent with his grandfather ignited a passion for earth's oceans and aquatic ecosystems. He described the critical need to preserve the health of these systems which are still largely unexplored and yet "...represent 99% of the earth’s living space, the largest known space inhabited by living organisms." Using a story from his own life, he was emphatic to our students: "If there's one lesson you should walk away with today, is that there is no such word as 'impossible,' because if you put your mind to it, you can create whatever you want and make it happen." See the short video clip below.

]]>Tue, 09 May 2017 17:34:00 -0000https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=163
https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=163“We are so excited to celebrate 25 years of success at New Jersey SEEDS,” explains John F. Castano, SEEDS’ Executive Director. “Our honorees for this year’s benefit represent our foundation and our future. Amy served SEEDS for fifteen years – twelve as the Executive Director. Her vision and passion for education equity and access both shaped and guided a young SEEDS organization and gave it the foundation for its quarter century of success. Of course, the greatest validation for any educator is seeing those aspirational young people grow into successful adults.”

For her "dedication to improving the education of students throughout New Jersey," Amy was presented the 2017 Leading Change Award by Far Brook School alumna and graduate of NJ SEEDS Young Scholars Program, Jasmine Harris '16, currently a freshman at Phillips Academy Andover.

Accepting the award, Amy shared her personal experience - as both a school administrator and classroom teacher - of the extraordinary benefits of the SEEDS program: "SEEDS students enrich our classes, raise the intellectual bar, and the level of thought-provoking and stimulating discussions for all the kids in the class. They expand our reasoning and improve our communities with their diversity of background, culture, and perspective. Implicit in their journey is grit, determination, and resiliency. I would also add that they bring a spirit of appreciation and generosity to our school communities as well. For this, I am so thankful to have had the pleasure to be in their company for so many years."

]]>Fri, 28 Apr 2017 19:02:11 -0000https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=162
https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=162Inspired by Widening the Lens - Far Brook's 2016 Diversity Conference which encouraged conversations on race - the Lower School (Grades N-3) engaged in a 2-day experience to create self-portraits. Working in small mixed-grade groups and guided by Kindergarten teacher Donna Deltz, the students first created their "just right" shade of skin color by mixing four paint colors: red, yellow, black, and white. On the second day, they added features to their portraits.

Two important books were read to the students as part of the project: All the Colors We Are explains the science behind how we get our skin color, and The Colors of Us celebrates many beautiful shades of skin by associating each tone with the rich and delicious colors of our environment - cocoa, peach, tawny, golden, butterscotch, and bronze.

An exhibit of the Lower School's self-portrait project is on display now in the lower level lobby outside the Third Grade and in the main office.

]]>Thu, 20 Apr 2017 16:05:00 -0000https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=161
https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=161Last week Far Brook students in Grades 4-6 exchanged their regular schedules for a special week of project-based, interdisciplinary STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) activities. In our second year partnering with i2 Learning, students explored sustainable farming practices and designed a model farming plot imagining potential future campus use. Groups decided on a function for their garden at Far Brook, deciding whether they would sell, donate, or eat the harvest they grew.

Our STEAM immersion week was coordinated by Far Brook teachers Lauren Kronthal and Deborah Costa. Throughout this week of interdisciplinary teaching, 15 Upper School teachers collaborated in the execution of the curriculum. Students learned about and investigated many topics, including photosynthesis, composting, irrigation, food deserts, and urban farms, to name just a few. Students applied their understanding of geometry and basic algebra in order to design scale models of their projected garden plot as well as calculate a projected cost analysis. This exciting, week-long immersion program gave our Middle School students an opportunity to engage their STEAM skills in solving real-world problems, as well as a first-hand awareness of some of the world- and life-changing innovations that are possible in STEAM professions.

True to the Engineering Design Process, the students concluded their week with presentations communicating their group's challenges, setbacks, innovations, and successes, and demonstrating their final projects showcasing their farm models and Google Slide presentations.

]]>Thu, 06 Apr 2017 12:48:00 -0000https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=160
https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=160Last Friday night, Far Brook's Junior High returned from their trip to French Canada. This annual capstone experience gives students an opportunity to use their French skills in practical, real-world settings and to be surrounded by French language and French-influenced culture. This year they explored Québec City, spending four amazing days taking in the culture, language, and history of the city and its people.

Before the trip, the Junior High learned about French explorers like Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain who came to the New World in search of a passage to the west. They studied the interactions of these early settlers with the First Nations and learned about the culture and geography of Québec. Starting in the fall, the students began exchanging letters with pen pals at L’Académie Sainte-Marie.

Every day while in Québec, the students used their French language skills to interact with native speakers in restaurants and shops, and with the supermarket employees during the Scavenger Hunt at the local Supermarché. They also spoke French with their penpals on a visit to their school. Their local guide spoke both French and English, teaching the Junior High some typical Québécois expressions and exposing them to music from the area. The guided tours of Québec City, Huron Village, and Montmorency Falls, deepened the students' understanding of how the French, the native cultures, and the English interacted and influenced the history of North America. At Les Plaines d'Abraham museum, students learned about the 1759 Battle of Québec and reenacted the duties of soldiers, including how to load muskets and canons.

Some of the Junior High's favorite activities included a snowshoeing excursion through the forest, snow tubing at the Village des Sports, and a French Canadian theater workshop, in which students acted out three Québécois legends. And, of course, a highlight of the trip was the food. Students tasted poutine (fries with cheese curds and gravy), potage (pureed vegetable soup), crêpes, and bison sausages.

Vive le Québec!!

]]>Wed, 22 Mar 2017 20:45:22 -0000https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=159
https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=159The musicians from Homespun Occasions brought their extensive knowledge of traditional dances and music from around the world to all grades at Far Brook in a two-day, in-school residency with our students. They returned in the evening for a delightful community folk dance that had students, families, and faculty on their feet and dancing. For more than 20 years, these wonderful musicians -- also known as Peter, Paul, and George -- have been leading our faculty and students in learning folk dances during the Junior High Wilderness Trip at Pok-O MacCready Outdoor Education Center. These events were made possible by the Fredda S. Leff Special Projects Endowment.

Last Wednesday, Far Brook hosted a sold-out viewing of the award-winning documentary, Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age, with a special appearance after the screening of filmmaker and physician, Dr. Delaney Ruston. Visitors from local communities joined Far Brook families to consider the impact of digital technology use on adolescent development and relationships. Inspired by Dr. Ruston's personal concerns for her own children, the documentary explores family struggles over social media, video games, academics, and internet addiction - pressing and universal parenting concerns.

Earlier that day, Far Brook Seventh and Eighth Grade students and faculty also benefitted from the opportunity to view the film and engage with Dr. Ruston and each other on the topic.

Insights from authors, psychologists, and brain scientists surprised our audiences and triggered discussion and sharing of personal stories. Dr. Ruston offered resources and solutions including family contracts, parenting apps, and Tech Talk Tuesdays, a family commitment to weekly discussions about screen time habits using suggested topics and updated resources provided on www.screenagersmovie.com.

Parents, students, and faculty left Moore Hall with knowledge and strategies to open communication and strive for balance with tweens, teens, and technology.

]]>Tue, 21 Feb 2017 15:50:39 -0000https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=157
https://www.farbrook.org/page.cfm?p=1&newsid=157As part of their community service day on Tuesday, Far Brook's Junior High assisted at three local organizations that serve families and individuals in need. One group helped box food at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey in Hillside; another read stories and made character puppets with younger students at Valley Settlement House in West Orange; and a third group prepared meals and served over 150 guests at St. Ann's Soup Kitchen in Newark (Franciscan Charities, Inc.). The birds which decorated Moore Hall for this year's Harmonia presentation have migrated and are now brightening the walls at St. Ann's!